Your Monthly Guide to Smarter Scheduling
January 2026
Happy New Year Hawkeye community!
We are looking forward to all the exciting developments coming to Classroom Scheduling in 2026—from new classrooms opening in the Health Sciences Academic Building and a full renovation of 70 Van Allen Hall to planning future instructional spaces, streamlining allocations with new tools, and much more!
We are also pleased to share the third issue of the Classroom Scheduling Newsletter. Each month, we will continue bringing you updates on key initiatives, important deadlines, and practical resources to support a stronger, more connected scheduling community.
If you are not receiving the newsletter by email but would like to, please contact classrooms@uiowa.edu to be added.
Highlights
- Dates and Deadlines
- Final Exam Needs Submission
- Building Hours Submission
- Planner Review Period
- Scheduling Preferences Report
- Final Exam Needs Summary Report
Upcoming Dates and Deadlines
Refer to the Classroom Scheduling Task List for more dates and details on monthly recurring tasks, organized according to the course and event scheduling timeline, along with helpful resources to support your work.
Winter 2025/26
- 12/20–1/11/26
AMAG UCRs Locked 24/7
Spring 2026
- 12/15/25–1/14/26
Final Exam Submission Period - 1/12/26–1/16/26
UCRs Unlocked for Instructor Preview - 1/20/26
First Day of Spring Semester - 2/6-2/15/26
Final Exam Schedule Faculty Review Period - 2/16/26
Final Exam Schedule Published
Fall 2026
- 11/4/25–1/25/26
Planner closed for UCR/Level 1 room submissions - 1/26/26-2/8/26
Planner review period - 2/9/26
Midterm Exam Needs tool opens - 2/9/26
MyUI Course Offerings Available/Schedule Builder Opens
Spring 2027
- 2/2/26-6/22/26
Planner open to departments
Policy and Procedure Spotlight
Submitting Final Exam Needs
Academic department administrators (ADAs) are responsible for submitting final exam needs on behalf of each department during the month leading up to the start of each semester. The Office of the Registrar’s primary goal in final exam scheduling is to minimize the creation of exam conflicts for students (direct or more than two exams scheduled on the same exam day) and best utilize limited classroom resources.
Final exam submission instructions and scheduling policies are found on the Office of the Registrar's website, but below are a few key notes:
- Department administrators must submit exam needs for all undergraduate sections, including courses that are not giving a final exam. If no information is submitted, an exam assignment will be created for all undergraduate sections.
- If faculty intend to schedule their exam through Distance and Online Education, please indicate "No Exam Assignment Needed" in the Exam Needs tool.
- Final exam time preferences are only given consideration under special extenuating circumstances that may require DEO/dean's office approval.
Scheduling Insights
Submitting Building Hours
A workflow form is in use for building coordinators and approved staff to submit the hours of academic buildings housing University Classrooms (UCRs). The form can be used to make temporary or permanent changes to building hours and allows stakeholders to review, comment, and approve building hours in a streamlined, cohesive platform that will ensure students, staff, and faculty have access to the most accurate information.
Standard building hours were implemented for summer and fall of 2025 and will continue into spring 2026. Spring 2026 standardized building hours will follow the options given for fall 2025.
Planner Review Period
The two-week Planner review period for fall 2026 section offerings is Jan. 26 to Feb. 8. This time is for departments to check assigned classrooms and submit any change requests prior to showing in MyUI on Feb. 9. Changes requested after this review period will require justification of how the change benefits students as they will be building their schedules around the times and locations of the courses published in MyUI.
Our team reviews over 1,000 changes during this two week window each semester. We appreciate your patience as we work through your requests.
Reports and Reminders
REPORTS:0101
The Scheduling Preferences report displays region, building, room, and media preferences used in classroom scheduling. These preferences are entered in MAUI Planner for each section before the Planner close date. The report helps Classroom Scheduling assign suitable rooms and can also highlight back‑to‑back sections or situations involving instructor mobility needs.
It is important to note that scheduling preferences do not replicate to ensure each faculty member has the opportunity for their requests to be submitted. Preferences must be re-entered each semester. Additionally, while our team will do everything we can to meet all preferences, they cannot be guaranteed.
REPORTS:0102
The Final Exam Needs Summary Report allows department administrators to review exam need requests for both current and past semesters. After selecting a session and subject, they can view all submitted requests for that term. This report is helpful for sharing current semester submissions with faculty and staff or referencing what was submitted in prior semesters.
The Dean's List
Holiday Gatherings and Goodbyes
Our team gathered in December to celebrate the holidays and each other as we do every year, but this year it was bittersweet: we marked the end of the Joyce Crawford Era in Classroom Scheduling. We celebrated Joyce with gifts, games, and some really good laughs.
Join the Best Team on Campus
While Joyce is off having amazing retirement adventures, we will be hard at work trying to fill her shoes. Classroom Scheduling will soon have an open spot on our team, and rumor has it we are pretty fabulous. Keep an eye on future newsletters and job postings for more information!
Pets of the Month
New year, new schedules, same egg-cel-lent results! Kristen’s Silver Laced Wyandottes are a sparkling reminder that staying on track is no yolk! Dependable, productive, and stylish, they embody all the qualities Classroom Scheduling strives for in the new year—proving that with careful planning, nothing gets scrambled.
Do you have topic requests for future newsletters?
We would love to hear your suggestions!